CRTC invites comments on the state of competition in the wholesale mobile wireless services market

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today launched a public consultation to review whether the wholesale mobile wireless services market is sufficiently competitive, both now and in the future. The CRTC will also hold a public hearing beginning on September 29, 2014, in Gatineau, Que.

Through the consultation launched today, the CRTC is inviting comments on:

the state of the market for wholesale mobile wireless services, including wholesale roaming and wholesale tower sharing in Canada

the impact that the wholesale mobile wireless services market has on the retail market, and

whether greater regulatory oversight would be appropriate if it were to find that the wholesale mobile wireless services market is not sufficiently competitive.

Comments may be submitted until May 1, 2014. Canadians can participate in this consultation, including the public hearing, by:

Quick Facts

Following a fact-finding exercise conducted in mid-2013, the CRTC had stated its intention to further examine, among other things, the wholesale mobile wireless services market.

In December 2013, the CRTC launched a proceeding to study whether wireless service providers are placing their Canadian competitors at an unfair competitive disadvantage through wholesale roaming arrangements.

The CRTC is launching a public consultation to review whether the wholesale mobile wireless services market is sufficiently competitive, both today and in the future.

The CRTC is examining the wholesale services and arrangements between wireless service providers. While these may have an impact on the prices paid by Canadians for wireless services, the CRTC does not regulate the retail rates charged by wireless companies.

The CRTC will hold a public hearing beginning on September 29, 2014, in Gatineau, Que.

With nearly 28 million subscribers, the mobile wireless services market is the largest and fastest growing sector in the Canadian telecommunications industry.

Quote

“Through this consultation, we are reviewing whether the wholesale wireless services market is fostering a sustainable level of competition in the retail market, both today and in the future. This is an important question. Sustainable competition between wireless service providers can offer many benefits to Canadians, including access to high-quality networks, innovative services and reasonable prices.”